The active participation and empowerment of women in socio-economic activities will usher in a new era of development and prosperity and help alleviate poverty to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

The active participation and empowerment of women in socio-economic activities will usher in a new era of development and prosperity and help alleviate poverty to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. This was said by University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan while talking to the participants of International Center for Development and Decent Work (ICDD) PhD Workshop 2015 at a reception arranged at Heritage Museum UAF. The workshop was funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Government College University Faisalabad Prof Dr Muhammad Ali, Government College Women University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Naureen Aziz, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi former vice chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Mehmood, Office of Research Innovation and Commercialization Dr Asif Ali, Dr Izhar Ahmad and German Scientist Christian Mollmann from University of Kassel, Germany also spoke. UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that women play a pivotal role in the development of a society who remain busy in performing domestic and economic activities from dawn to dusk. He said that world population has touched to seven billion. Out of which, half of them were women. He said without the active women empowerment and participation, we cannot achieve sustainable development. Talking about UAF, he said that 145 teaching staff of the varsity were women. GCUF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Ali said that more than 50 population consists of women. He said that the women empowerment would pave a way to development and women should come forward in every sphere of life. GCWUF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Naureen Aziz said that Islam attaches great importance to women and provide them excellent rights. She urged the women to explore their inbuilt leadership qualities and stressed upon to prove their mettle in every sphere of life. She said that the empowerment of women was essential to compete with the rest of the world. Prof Dr Khalid Mehmood said that women are playing an intensive role not only as a house keeper but also as the working force. He stressed the need to raise the education among the women to fight the challenges of modern era. Prof Dr Asif Ali lauded women's role in socioeconomic activities, which is vital to compete with the rest of the world. He said aid that the rural women were also playing an active role in the agricultural sector of the county. Prof Dr Izhar Ahmad stressed the need to raise the awareness about the women right and empowerment to meet the demand of new era.